Ultimate Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (Printable)

Slow-cooked beef in a rich, savory-sweet garlic and ginger sauce with toasted sesame and green onions.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 2 lbs flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

→ Sauce

02 - 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/2 cup water
05 - 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
06 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 - 2 tablespoons sesame oil

→ To Finish

11 - 4 green onions, sliced
12 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

# How-To Steps:

01 - Toss the sliced flank steak with cornstarch in a large bowl until evenly coated on all sides.
02 - Transfer the cornstarch-coated beef to the slow cooker, spreading it in an even layer.
03 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil in a separate bowl until smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour the sauce mixture over the beef in the slow cooker. Stir thoroughly to ensure all pieces are evenly coated.
05 - Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened to a glossy consistency.
06 - Stir in the sliced green onions during the final 10 minutes of cooking time to retain their bright color and crunch.
07 - Serve hot over steamed jasmine or basmati rice. Garnish with additional green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Pairs well with steamed broccoli or snow peas.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce creates this incredible sticky coating that clings to every single piece of beef
  • Your slow cooker does literally all the work while you go about your day
  • It tastes exactly like that restaurant dish you order but costs half as much to make
02 -
  • Cutting against the grain literally means slicing perpendicular to those long muscle fibers in the meat
  • The sauce might look thin at first but it thickens beautifully as the cornstarch cooks down
  • Resist the urge to lift the lid too often or you'll lose heat and extend your cooking time
03 -
  • Partially freeze the flank steak for 20 minutes before slicing and it becomes ridiculously easy to cut thin
  • Use tamari instead of soy sauce if you need this to be gluten-free

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